ALABAMA

Auburn University

Animal Agrosecurity – Alabama representatives from Extension, the Department of Agriculture and Industries, and the Emergency Management Agency attended the tri-state Strengthening community through Agrosecurity Planning (SCAP) pilot work session held in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Alabama will host a SCAP train-the-trainer and training session in early November. In addition to train-the-trainer certification participants, teams from the Alabama Wiregrass region will participate.

H1N1 – As H1N1 became news around the country in late spring and has continued through the fall, Alabama Extension has provided education and information to employees and the public through our Web site. Several counties are working on contingency plans in the event their offices are closed. A series of Brown Bag Briefings was introduced for the fall semester September 5 with its first topic being H1N1. Subsequent briefings will be held on the first Friday of each month and conducted on site and at a distance.

Emergency Preparedness Web page – Frequent updates to the Alabama EDEN page have been posted this year. The site includes links to the most current information regarding H1N1, ACES-produced Ready Tips, and other pertinent topics.

Disaster Education Awareness – Throughout the year, EDEN and disaster preparedness were highlighted at meetings, conferences, and at local events.

Submitted by Virginia Morgan

Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Floods… Leif Albertson, Yukon-Kuskokwim District Extension Agent

This spring, we had a particularly bad breakup of the Kuskokwim and YukonRivers. Generally breakup is a time of celebration as it marks theunofficial beginning of summer.This spring, however, breakup was markedby the worst flooding in 40 years.I was in Anchorage for a CooperativeExtension Convocation when I got the news that flooding had started insome of the villages in my region.From Anchorage I started making callsto local agencies to try to grasp the extent of the flooding and the needsof the communities.I learned that evacuees from two villages were beingmoved to Bethel.The National Guard was assisting with evacuations andthe local Office of Environmental Health was working to shut down andsecure the water plants.Fortunately, Cooperative Extension had severalpublications available which were relevant to the situation.The mosttimely being titled, What to do After the Flood (SAL-00005).I was ableto email this document to several agencies and arrange meetings before Iwas even back in Bethel.

When I returned I was able to see the flooding first hand in my owncommunity.Several roads were underwater and sections of town wereinaccessible.I met with Public Health Nursing and the Office ofEnvironmental Health at our local tribal health organization (YKHC).Welearned that local agencies were not working together in an structuredfashion.There did not seem to be an organized plan for flood recovery orfor the health/safety of the evacuees.I spoke with Linda Tannehill fromthe Kenai office and through the Extension Disaster Education Network shewas able to arrange a teleconference with Flood Extension personnel fromFargo North Dakota.I was able to explain what I had already done and wecame up with a plan and priority list for the next few days.I continuedmeeting with local agencies and I distributed more copies of ourpublications.The publications were, in turn, distributed by both YKHCand Public Health Nursing.

I went on the local radio station and talked to people about the healthimplications of flood water as well as issues of salvaging belongings andmold.Due to the limited time I had on the radio I mostly tried to drivehome the concept that flood water was dirty water and that you shouldn'tspend time in it or let kids play in it.Hazards such as raw sewage (wehad lagoons overflow) and chemicals in the floodwater were invisibledangers.

Interacting with community members, I fielded questions such as:

“When is it safe to go home,”

“Is is safe to plant a garden in soil that was covered with flood water,”

“What about mold?”

“What kind of assistance if available for displaced residents?”

After more meetings with local agencies some concerns were raised.Iconnected with a local public health nurse and we visited the evacueesfrom two local villages who were being housed at the HeadStart building. We did a needs-assessment for the people as well as the facility.It is

not normally a residential facility so issues like bedding, adequatebathrooms and fire exits were all of concern.I talked to people abouthealth, safety and salvage issues while the public health nurse addressedresident’s medical concerns and childcare issues.There was a highpercentage of children in the group, and several individuals takingprescription medication.I handed out CES' "After the Flood" publicationand answered specific questions.

Following some initial confusion, I was eventually able to track down aRed Cross representative from Anchorage.I learned that the few membersof outside agencies who had come to Bethel were chiefly there to evaluatefinancial issues associated with the flooding.Of the agencies primarilyinvolved, Red Cross and Federal workers were occupied with financialassistance, the Office of Environmental Health was working on issues ofwater utilities, AVCP was responsible for housing evacuees and theNational Guard was responsible for relocating evacuees.CES had a realniche here in community education.I feel CES was the only agency focusedon educational outreach regarding health, safety and salvage issues pertinent to the entire timeline of flood response issues.

Overall I think this was a learning a experience. We identified someinter-agency gaps as well as some resources. Inter-agency communicationand planning was poor.This is another role in which CES can offer a value.By assessing community needs and tying local resources together,

we were able to respond to the these needs in a broader context than anyof the individual agencies.I was glad to be able to serve in that muchneeded capacity.

The UAF Cooperative Extension Service Communications Department has done an exemplary job this year of keeping our Home Page updated with the most recent information from EDEN, CDC and other sources regarding volcanic eruption, H1N1, flooding and wild fires.

Submitted by Linda Tannehill

ARKANSAS

University of Arkansas

Community Assistance

University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service assisted communities in the aftermath of severe ice storms and tornadoes that tore through Arkansas this past winter and spring.Faculty and staff helped residents and community leaders cope with disaster, identify and locate sources of assistance, make emergency plans, find information on emergency sheltering, manage storm damaged trees and debris, and negotiate FEMA regulations.

Building Disaster Resilient Communities

Cooperative Extension faculty and staff and two communities in Arkansas participated in the multi-state FEMA funded project “Building Resilient Communities”.This project was designed to assess emergency awareness and preparedness in disadvantaged communities and communities with large at-risk populations.Emergency management professionals and local residents from both communities participated in three roundtable sessions to identify issues associated with past disasters, what worked and what didn’t work in emergency management, and weighed in on a model process for increasing awareness and preparedness in disadvantaged and high risk areas.

Disaster Response Handbook

The Disaster Response Handbook is a resource for county Extension agents and other Extension faculty to use in advising the public on coping with disasters. This book features a number of fact sheets grouped by disaster. It also lists Disaster Assistance Contacts at the local, state and national levels. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Disaster Response Handbook was recently showcased in the Northwest Arkansas Emergency Preparedness Fair.

Submitted by Deborah Tootle

COLORADO

Colorado State University

There have had many cuts in Colorado this past year.Along with that there weren’t any major disasters that needed to response, which was great.

Colorado has developed a program to train livestock superintendents as many of our superintendents do not have the life time experience with livestock.This program has been very popular.In 2009, the presentation was given 10 times.The success of this program is that superintendents can see the symptoms of a sick animal.It is important that health checks be made prior to animals getting off the trailer.The program was presented in multiple sites.The next program will be held at the Rocky Mountain Fairs and Shows in Great Falls, Montana.Colorado EDEN has given out over 100 CD’s to counties that have attended the program.The part that makes the people pay attention is that the 30 question quiz.This quiz is an excellent way to close the program.

Work was done on the SCAP program in Logan, Utah. Colorado is in the process of training two more Colorado Agents on bio-security issues and plan to offer SCAP programs throughout Colorado and Wyoming.

Submitted by Tom McBride

CONNECTICUT

University of Connecticut

During the past year, there have been no major disasters in the State of Connecticut. Emergency planning and education have become more accepted in plans of work and are being integrated into specific event programming, especially with large activities or events held in the 4-H Youth Development Program.

The University has moved forward with updated and more accurate emergency notification and response plans that will help to inform those on the main campus and regional campuses of any important issues related to emergencies or disasters. Student notification systems such as sirens, webpage notification and text phone messages are currently in place and are tested periodically. A response to testing feature helps guide any improvements that may need to be made to the web based and texting features of this system.

Keeping individuals informed about H1N1and other health outbreaks has been a focus for the University as well. Information alerts are posted on the University’s webpage along with articles in the campus newspaper and in other sources. Links bring students to the Student Health Services webpage, where detailed information is available for them regarding disease prevention, media links, immunization, and more. In addition, two Department of Extension faculty were made to the public to specifically answer any questions regarding H1N1.

Regional planning workshops have occurred in one region of the state with the State Animal Response Team (SART). Topics have focused on movement of people and animals, including pets, in the event of a natural disaster, terrorism or industrial accident. Individuals in the Department of Extension are working with the Department of Agriculture to plan for animal mortality issues, such as disposal of birds due to Avian Influenza.

Bruce Wilbur who has been very active in EDEN and the University of Connecticut POC has retired from his position at the University.

Submitted by Linda Horn

GUAM

University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service

Governor Felix P. Camacho and the 30th Guam Legislature recently proclaimed the month of September as “National Preparedness Month”and commemorating Sept 11, 2009 as “A Day of Service and Remembrance”. Together with all first responders, volunteer organizations, The ServeGuam Commission (AmeriCorps), attended this commemoration event held at the Guam Homeland Security, Office of Civil Defense.Through the Cooperative Extension collaboration, Guam’s EDEN network continues to expand through such organizations as the ServeGuam Commission, partnerships with our local Mayor’s Council, and GovGuam and federal agencies.

Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN), the University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service participated in the following venues:

·The Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense month long observation of National Disaster planning culminated on September 26, 2009 at the Agana Shopping Center. Educational displays from the various collaborators placing emphasis on disaster preparation, mitigation, and recovery, and live recovery simulations.Extension’s showcase included the distribution of the In Case of Emergency Contact card information and included displaying Guam’s Disaster preparedness toolkit ( preparinghealthy and nutritious non-perishable food items, typhoon preparedness and tips on health practices to protect from H1N1 and the pandemic influenza.

·Navy Kids Day at the US Naval Base, Naval Station, Guam.Guam EDEN invited to participate in this event bringing awareness to disaster preparedness to the community, children attending the event.

·15th Annual GSAT Assistive Technology Conference.Guam EDEN provided an educational display on disaster preparedness for individuals with disabilities, caregivers and their families.Tips and informational materials on good health habits to stop the spread of pandemic influenza, home emergency supply kit.

·Pacific Land Grant Alliance & Agricultural Development in the American Pacific (ADAP) November 2008 Food Security Forum. The workgroup expressed an interest in the associated threats with food supply interruption and high reliance on the volume of imported foodstuff. The highlights of the November 2008 Food Security meeting forum focused on three areas:Availability, Accessibility and Use. As a start point, each cooperating area will conduct a community assessment and compile their respective version of a food-system asset map.The community assessment will provide the necessary background and information to gain an understanding of the issues making up the region’s food security and sufficiency issues. Addressing dependency issues around food and more importantly, the questions of where is the next food source coming from and how to improve our current food security system remain important concerns. The implications of climate change reframes a role that the ADAP consortia has a natural advantage to serve as the early warning system related to rising sea level, natural disaster threats and the associated fuel issues influencing imported foods.

From this Food Security effort, the workgroup through ADAP and the PGLA hope to create start points for food security strategies.Such strategies should address current food systems for the alliance and decide common accessibility issues related to the at-risk or marginal groups to food.This includes a similar interest in defining a food uncertainty strategy associated with disasters and readiness action plans. This recent interest around food security perhaps can serve as the front-runner for leading the regionalization of agricultural programs that can lead towards shoring up both the knowledge base and capacity for timely Pacific Alliance programming.For Guam, from this printing, a food security workgroup comprised of dedicated and highly charged faculty, program staff and graduating seniors are underway in developing a program design and conducting its food security community reconnaissance.

Submitted by : Peter Barcinas

Illinois

University of Illinois

2009 has been a calmer year than 2008 (so far) but there have been a few natural disasters.A widespread ice storm in the southern part of the state and more isolated wind and flash flooding events around the state impacted Extension offices.Some lost power for several days, but staff was prepared to work from home and other alternate locations as the power started to come back on.Several county directors have asked for guidance on how to be more fully integrated into local response efforts as a result of the ice storm.

Activities related to two 2008 Special Needs grants continue.A follow up to the 2008 Multi-State Earthquake Conference was held in July.The group responsible for that conference also has been holding smaller general preparedness meetings in that region.

Funds allocated for flood response/recovery activities have been used to acquire moisture meters suitable for local loan pools in affected areas, GPS units to assist statewide educators in responding to locations outside of their normal areas, and 10,000 copies of the EDEN/Purdue flood response publication.There have been some logistical delays in arranging for pre-paid private well testing.Mold guides have been acquired free of charge from the U.S. EPA and added to the inventory of flood recovery materials being stored centrally.

U ofI Extension has been active in three larger recovery and mitigation efforts.The Illinois Resource Network, which includes Extension and other organizations, has been working with under-resourced counties and local governments to assist them in completing mitigation plans which will allow the counties to apply for funding for mitigation projects.

Several Extension educators and specialists participated in a grant awarded the University of Illinois as the Governor’s Long Term Flood Recovery Task Force by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.The task force held listening sessions in all parts of the state affected by several major 2008 flood events and enlisted experts in several fields to prepare a blueprint for continued recovery and mitigation activities.The final draft is now in the hands of IDCEO.

A third group of Extension educators and specialists has been enlisted by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to prepare natural hazards education and mitigation material related to specific topic areas.Programming in Outdoor Recreation, Hazardous Tree Identification, Watershed Management, and Mold Remediation will be offered throughout the state to governmental officials, employees, professional organizations and other groups directly impacted by the natural hazards covered in the program areas.This project is just underway and is expected to last for two years.

We are advocating increased Extension involvement at the local level in VOAD/COAD groups.

Submitted by Rick Atterberry

INDIANA

Purdue University

Floods and storms revisited. The 2009 state report for Indiana is the part II to last year’s Floods, Floods, Floods, report.The update is that we have now had five federally declared floods since January 2008. That’s two more than reported last year. In some cases, like the March floods of 2009, the federal declaration was easier to get than many disaster workers had ever seen. On the other hand the August floods in southern Indiana and a tornado in Chesterton Indiana went without a federal declaration.All told the floods and storms (tornadoes and straight-line winds) affected 84 of the 92 Indiana counties and caused more than $2billion in damages, not including lost business and productivity.

The impact of a federal declaration is significant. It was estimated that with a federal declaration on the August floods and storms affecting southern Indiana, that volunteer agencies would need about $250,000 to assist with long-term recovery. Without the federal declaration, the bill may total about $750,000. The biggest issue in Indiana is that with continued flooding, volunteer agencies are largely without funds to help victims.

We’ve now distributed about 30,000 First Steps to Flood Recovery publications, an increase of 15,000 from last year and about equal to the number of flood victims. Delivery of the publication has become an expectation. We are transitioning in 2009 from forming long-term recovery committees to forming community organizations active in disaster (COADs). Purdue Extension is recognized by state volunteer agencies as the lead institution to start COADs. In January of 2009, there were no COADs in Indiana. By summer, 12 counties were covered by in the new COADs. Another 16 counties will be included when the long-term recovery committees close operations and shift to COADs. This is keeping Steve Cain very busy in 2009. All of that is part of Cain’s duties once he was elected President of the Indiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster.

This year, the Purdue Extension Agrosecurity Team took shape with the leadership from Curt Emanuel, Clinton County Extension Educator, Mike Schutz, Purdue Extension animal scientist. PEAT is recognized by the Indiana Board of Animal Health and received a USDA grant to enhance the use of the EDEN Animal Agrosecurity and Emergency Management Course and S-CAP in Indiana.

Since the last state report, Indiana disaster Mold Team, led by Genise Huey, Mary Lou Elbert, and Denise Schroeder, Purdue Extension educators in Posey, Warrick and White Counties, presented at Galaxy and Priester and will present this year at the EDEN annual meeting. They’ve identified educational materials on mold remediation after a flood. And, they have shared ways to deliver it in communities after the flood. Also, this year members of the mold team visited the LaHouse in cooperation with Pat Skinner and others at Louisiana State University.

On Monday, October 5, 2009, Purdue Extension hosted a pandemic webinar for Purdue Extension educators. It was based on the EDEN Pandemic Webinar and provided an update and Indiana specific information.

All of the above increased effort to deliver disaster education has not gone unnoticed; Purdue Extension has been invited to speak at two governor’s conferences on developing community organizations active in disaster and many local volunteer meetings across the state.

Submitted by Steve Cain

Kansas

Kansas State University

Agrosecurity – Several K-State Research and Extension (KSRE) representatives attended an ESF-11 Workshop sponsored by the Kansas Dept. of Ag. and Dept. of Homeland Security. Representatives from agencies around the state attended, which allowed KSRE folks to build/strengthen relationships.

Several Extension representatives participated in the Agriculture & Food Vulnerability Assessment Training Course (presented at K-State) by the Center for Agriculture and Food Security And Preparedness from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine and co-sponsored by the DHS.

K-State is scheduled to host one of the Strengthening Communities Through Agriculture Planning (S-CAP) in early 2010. Arrangements are progressing.

KSRE employees have been asked to stay home if they are ill. Each College of Agriculture department has submitted continuity of operations plans to the provost, detailing steps they will take in case of pandemic flu. A university team met periodically through the year in anticipation of a pandemic; KSRE and the College of Ag. will follow university guidelines in the event of partial or full closure. Calling trees are a primary way of communicating with employees at the department and local levels.

Emergency Preparedness Web site – Through news releases and an internal Extension newsletter, we unveiled a Kansas EDEN Web site (http://www.kseden.ksu.edu). It will always be a work in progress, but we now have a place where KSRE resources are pulled together, plus links to state and national sites.

Building Relationships AHEAD of Disasters:External - In addition to the above-mentioned ESF-11 workshops, three KSRE delegates to EDEN attended a FEMA Region VII Regional Interagency Steering Committee (RISC) ESF6 Subcommittee meeting. Through people we met at that meeting, we’ve been invited to speak about KSRE emergency preparedness/disaster recovery resources at a Kansas Voluntary Agencies Active in Disasters (VOAD) meeting Oct. 23.

Building Relationships AHEAD of Disasters:Internal – In 2009, an emphasis on emergency preparedness and disaster recover education took its place in KSRE’s five-year strategic plan, which is spelled out more specifically in an action plan written by EDEN delegates. In addition, the KSRE Point of Contact to EDEN met with interested county agents at the Spring Action Conference and came away with ideas on how best to work with agents and inform them of opportunities and resources.

Raising Awareness with the Public – At suggestion of agents, a fill-in-the-blank news release was written and distributed to county agents ahead of September’s Emergency Preparedness month. This allowed agents to include local emergency information, and provided links to KSRE, state and national resources. The info was designed to be used in agents’ local newspapers, columns and newsletters.Other news releases during the past year have also referred to EDEN and Kansas EDEN and their Web sites.

A link to the national EDEN Web site is now on the K-State Research and Extension home page.

Submitted by Mary Lou Peter

Kentucky

University of Kentucky

Disasters

In early 2009, a devastating ice storm enveloped the state of Kentucky causing over 700,000 homes to be without power.This was the single largest power outage in Kentucky’s history.University of Kentucky (UK) Cooperative Extension Service (CES) assisted thousands of citizens, providing information on food safety, electricity, generators, livestock needs, fencing, water issues, funding for disaster assistance, tree damage, etc.Additionally, Extension personnel assisted at shelter facilities and worked closely with the Farm Service Agency in developing damage assessment reports.

To address two consecutive years of debilitating drought in the state, UK CES teamed up with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Division of Water, Kentucky Emergency Management, and the Farm Service Agency to develop statewide plans to mitigate and respond to future drought emergencies.

StormReady®

UK is recognized as a StormReady® University.During 2009, UK College of Agriculture Meteorologist (and EDEN Point of Contact) Tom Priddy is assisting the University with recertification of StormReady® status.A complete list of StormReady® Supporters can be found on the NOAA website (http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/supporters.htm).

Digital Consulting System

Equipment purchased for the UK Digital Consulting System (with funding from UK CES Ag Programs) has expanded opportunities for more efficient and rapid response to requests for identification of agricultural diseases and anomalies. The equipment will enable CES Field Staff to work online with specialists to recognize patterns of disease much more quickly.

National Veterinary Stockpile

Three UK College of Agriculture employees (including two with Extension appointments) received training to become certified members of a Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT).Their first practical experience came through collaboration with Kentucky Department of Agriculture IMT members in a multi-state exercise (sponsored by the Multi-State Partnership for Security in Agriculture) testing the distribution of National Veterinary Stockpile vaccine and supplies.

Training

UK CES employees completed development and presentation of the EDEN Strengthening Community Agrosecurity Planning (S-CAP) Workshops Project through collaboration with co-lead institution New Mexico State University and other supporting institutions.The workshop was piloted in a total of seven states.A video highlighting the S-CAP Workshops can be found here:http://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/nmhs/index.html.

UK CES received a Smith Lever Special Needs grant to conduct agrosecurity training throughout the state.The training consisted of presenting the EDEN Animal Agrosecurity and Emergency Management Course in each of the three Extension regions, followed by an EDEN S-CAP Workshop in the western part of the state that is susceptible to earthquakes.Kentucky Emergency Management co-sponsored the workshop to facilitate training of emergency management personnel in the region.An article written about these training efforts can be found in the Fall/Winter 2009 UK Extension Today publication at:http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pr/exttoday/EXTtoday-Fall-Winter-2009.pdf.

Pandemic Flu

The UK CES Pandemic Flu Committee collaborated with UK Emergency Management and UK College of Agriculture Administration to develop guidance for Extension field personnel (e.g. when to cancel a meeting if H1N1 Flu is prevalent in their county).UK Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Health Education through Extension Leadership (HEEL) personnel developed hand washing and cough etiquette posters featuring Wally Cat, based upon the UK mascot.These poster templates are being made available to other universities wishing to emulate the effort with their own mascot.The posters can be viewed at:http://www2.ca.uky.edu/deanadmin-files/WallyCat-cough-poster-HES.pdf and http://www2.ca.uky.edu/deanadmin-files/WallyCat-hand-wash-poster-HES.pdf.

EDEN Regional Food Protection Conference

UK CES and College of Agriculture personnel are developing and coordinating the EDEN Southern Region Food Protection Conference to be held in Lexington, KY on November 18 – 19, 2009.More information about the conference can be found at:http://www.eden.lsu.edu/fpcsouth.

Submitted by Andrea Husband

LOUISIANA

Louisiana State University

Louisiana is carrying on with long-term recovery from Katrina/Rita (2005) and Ike/Gustav (2008).Thankfully, 2009 has been a quiet year.

The “Coalition to Restore Home Ownership”, formed as part of a USDA Special Needs grant project to revise the homebuyer curriculum, completed the revision project, and those new materials are in use. The coalition found their interaction so beneficial they have continued to meet, with the LSU AgCenter – Extension still providing leadership, and have now turned their attention to preserving home ownership and preventing foreclosures.

The Road Home Program, which was contracted by the Louisiana Recovery Authority to ICF International to manage the distribution of nine billion dollars of rebuilding incentive payments to the 200,000 homeowners who suffered severe losses in Katrina and Rita, provided the most significant support for building the disaster recovery and mitigation unit (DRMU) at the LSU AgCenter.It ended, officially, in June, but we continue, without funding, to maintain the Road Home Rebuilding Resources web site (as a dual stage of our LSU AgCenter Home Rebuilding and Restoration web site) and maintain a small rebuilding outreach effort. We are in continuing discussions with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to determine the role of our DRMU in the $25 million, HMGP-funded, Statewide Community Education and Outreach project that is just getting under way. We have also requested direct funding from the Louisiana Recovery Authority and/or Louisiana Office of Community Development for expansion of our mitigation program into the areas of community resilience planning and local government empowerment through mitigation education.

Through the Road Home program, which included significant subcontracts with our New Orleans campus (University of New Orleans) and the Tulane City Center (part of the School of Architecture) the AgCenter provided the rebuilding web site, outreach activities, and a registry of licensed contractors that allows consumers and contractors to make their initial contact about a rebuilding project within the system. In the course of this project, the AgCenter and its partners produced 22 on-line, interactive learning modules; 30 media interviews and promotions; 178 networking meetings with NGOs and local officials; 163 education and outreach events < 3 hours; 82 education and outreach events > 3 hours, including CEU training for builders; 12 exhibits at conferences, shows and fairs; 20 outings with the Mitigation Mobile (Mobile Outreach Vehicle); 234 assistance visits to nonprofits involved in rebuilding (thru Tulane City Center); and 650 individual, personal interactions with people seeking rebuilding advice. Lead and mold safe work practices training and programs on achieving energy efficiency were also offered and relationships with Building America, Building Science Corporation and various nonprofits organizations were strengthened through a “DreamHouse” series of spec’ing and building new, affordable homes in southeast Louisiana that are hazard-resistant and energy efficient.

The LSU AgCenter hosted the 4th National Floodproofing Conference of the Association of State Floodplain Managers in New Orleans. LCES produced a community rebuilding and flood protection expo in conjunction with the national conference, making the national expertise available to the local recovery area. The marketing campaign for the Expo received a first place award from the Association for Communication Excellence, an international professional organization.

An LSU AgCenter contract to support the roll-out of new Flood Insurance Rate Maps is in its second year, and has led to two new contracts through the state office of floodplain regulations (using FEMA Map Modernization funds). These new contracts, which will begin in November, will allow the AgCenter to host/serve flood maps for the entire state, merging the flood risk information with wind risk, ground elevation, soils data (from NRCS) and other factors relevant to building on a particular site.

This year’s series of “The Next Storm Surge” programs tied the surge primer and models to explanation of the impacts of new flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs). The program is a joint effort of Ag-DRMU and Sea Grant extension services and is one of our most popular. The GIS web sites built for Road Home (wind speed maps) and state office of floodplain regulations (flood maps and portable computer lab capability) have truly captured the public’s imagination.

Louisiana community development agents in north Louisiana participated with 4 other states (Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, and Florida) in a project of the Southern Rural Development Council, funded through FEMA. The purpose was to gain information through roundtable discussions relative to how people of low wealth and high social and economic vulnerability cope with disasters. The discussions involved listening to people's perceived expectations, previous experiences, and view of potential hazards/disasters. One roundtable included people who have worked, volunteered, assisted with, or in other ways been involved in meeting needs. A second included people of low wealth, high social/economic vulnerability, diversity of all types, and citizens living in communities. A third roundtable - referred to as a "bridge" meeting - brought together some of the people from the first two groups. The project involved Ouachita and Richland parishes (counties) in northeast Louisiana.

Relationships were strengthened this year with the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) and Engineered Wood Products Association (APA) through a series of Raised Floor Construction programs.In addition, the AgCenter participates on a code council committee that is evaluating changes from the 2006 to 2009 building codes prior to Louisiana’s adopting the 2009 code. We also have been participating on the Governor’s Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) – Community Resilience initiative.

Submitted by Pat Skinner

LOUISIANA SEA GRANT

Following the disasters of 2005, all LSGE agents became involved in damage assessments and planning for community mitigation and protection from natural hazards.

oThe current shrimp economic crisis was the focus of a Shrimp Summit held in Cameron on Sept. 16, 2009. Since the early 1980s, global production of shrimp has increased dramatically, especially aquaculture produced shrimp. World production (both aquaculture and wild capture) of shrimp expanded from 3.4 billion pounds in 1980 to 13.4 billion pounds in 2005. To put this into perspective, Louisiana’s average annual shrimp production is approximately 100 million pounds. The summit, sponsored by Louisiana Sea Grant and the LSU AgCenter, featured representatives from the Louisiana Recovery Authority, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Integrated Marine Systems, Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board and the Cameron Parish Police Jury Office of Economic Development, discussing what options shrimpers have to help them exit the current crisis. Presentations – recorded as well as in PDF format – are available at http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/management/shrimpsummit.htm.

oThe Flood Protection and Ecosystem Restoration Conference – also known as Levee School – was held in January 2009, but the full two-day program is available at www.laseagrant.org/floodprotec­tion/index.html. Along with copies of presentations, video of every talk and panel discussion is available for online viewing. The live Webcast of the conference drew almost as many viewers as there were audience members in the auditorium. But the truly significant point is that while the event was being Webcast it also was being recorded. Anyone with an Internet connection can experience Levee School because of this. The Flood Protection and Ecosystem Restoration Conference is an ongoing professional development program to assist public agencies, including levee boards and levee districts, in achieving their statutory responsibilities in flood protection and ecosystem restoration.

oBuilding to mitigate the impacts of coastal hazards – such as hurricane storm surge and subsidence – was the focus of three public workshops held in coastal zone communities in late 2008 and four workshops in spring 2009. Additionally, recordings of workshop presentations are available online at http://130.39.186.250/mediasite/Catalog/pages/catalog.aspx?cid=2aa2975d-8287-4215-ba3d-0d9fa9c51db8. Copies of the Louisiana Coastal Hazard Mitigation Guidebook, on which the workshops are based, were available at both meetings. The 250-page book – which examines issues from zoning and building siting to construction methods and legal issues – is free. The strategies outlined in the guidebook reduce the risks from coastal natural hazards such as storm surge, other flooding, subsidence and sea level rise, and are meant to serve as an extra layer of protection or an additional line of defense. The guidebook also demonstrates how communities can adopt a flexible approach to hazard planning and accommodate a wide range of attitudes toward restrictions on the use of property to mitigate hazards.

Submitted by: Glenn Thomas

Maryland

University of Maryland

Emergency Preparedness Team- Extension faculty throughout the state have volunteered to continue to meet and discuss emergency preparedness education programs, as well as communicate through e-mail.

Networking- partnerships are continually being built among faculty and partners.

eXtension- Participating on the EDEN eXtension Agrosecurity Community of Practice. In addition, Maryland EDEN members, in cooperation with South Dakota, are spearheading the initiative to develop an eXtension EDEN Avian Influenza Community of Practice.

Results

·Maryland continues to provide agrosecurity outreach and educational materials to all audiences. We have collaborated with the Maryland Department of Agriculture in public outreach concerning the Emerald Ash Borer and other invasive species. Educational support is still provided to the Maryland State Animal Response Team and some County Animal Response Teams.

·The Maryland Small Flock Poultry Team received a CSREES Special Needs grant to develop a Backyard Poultry Biosecurity Education Program. It has developed 5 state-wide workshops for 200 small poultry flock owners,a manual, a website (www.healthybirds.umd.edu)and other educational materials and outreach.

·Maryland is collaborating with South Dakota on the development of EDEN’s Avian Influenza Response Team. Three Maryland Extension Poultry specialists have joined the team and are also working on the eXtension Community of Practice. Five articles and 20 Frequently Asked Questions on avian influenza have been published on the public site thus far.

·The Avian Influenza Response team has also partnered with South Dakota to review and publish H1N1 FAQ’s in eXtension.

Submitted by Pamela B. King, Extension Agent

MIchigan

Michigan State University

Michigan State University Extension provided education and technical assistance by building upon two current EDEN agro-security projects, strengthened collaboration with federal, state and local agencies involved in disaster relief to enhance the odds for recovery of agricultural, created long-range, community and regional planning that will significantly improve the implementation of programs to protect from “Farm to Fork” food security, and stands poised to create a focused credible, science-based delivery mechanism to connect the MDA Veterinarian to backyard livestock and poultry owners through local retail feed stores.

Michigan State University has successfully implemented all of the designated animal security projects as identified in the 2007 USDA CREES Special Needs Animal Security grant.These new projects will build upon that base foundation and increase Michigan’s local, regional and state capacity to respond effectively to agricultural emergencies and disasters as well as ensure business continuity planning for our local Extension county offices.

Strengthening Communities through Agro-Security Planning Michigan was selected as the first of six states for the S-CAP pilot project. Three counties with a combined participation of 42 members learned from each other in the 2 day regional training. County-wide agriculture assessments teams determined the needs and priorities of their county, addressed key problems, identified resources, clarified gaps in response and focused on sustainable recovery options.All three county team currently are in the final step of completing their agricultural emergency response (ESF11) plan.

The team inserted a new format for their county agricultural emergency response plans built on the S-CAP concept of capabilities. The following capabilities have been identified for agriculture: round-up and rescue; transportation and evacuation; shelter, storage and isolation; nutrient management and healthcare; tracking and recording; disease control plus destroy and dispose.Building a robust capability requires establishing a team of stakeholders, who in turn control the scope of the capability by determining inclusions and exclusions, identifying the tasks, classifying resources and designing a “top ten list” of specific scenarios.

Animal Health NetworkThe network concept has received approval and support for implementation from the Michigan Department of Agriculture Director and the MDA State Veterinarian, the Michigan State Police and Emergency Management staff and the MSU Extension Administration. The MSU Extension Emergency Planning Specialist provided insight as a review panel member in the design of educational materials for future national network implementation. A USDA grant and FAZD supplemental grant will provide dollars for statewide financial support for this project. Our goal is to create a rapid response and information animal health network connecting the Michigan Department of Agriculture State Veterinarian to backyard livestock and poultry owners in all 83 counties.

Submitted by Ann Nieuwenhuis

Minnesota

University of Minnesota

MnEDEN presented a session at Extension’s statewide program conference on the role of Extension in emergencies and the resources available to prepare, respond and recover from disasters from local to state levels.

University of Minnesota Extension received a grant to host one of three EDEN Regional Food Defense Conferences.Held on June 30, there were more than 90 onsite registrations and 30 participants across the state on nine satellites.Presenters included scientists from Department of Homeland Security; National Center for Food Protection and Defense; CSREES; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Cornell University, Penn State; and specialists from Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Minnesota Department of Health.The sessions provided a deeper perspective to risk communication in food safety and recall events; chain of command; importance of government, industry, and Extension partnerships. This was the first conference which drew on the expertise of participants in the food industry, state health agencies and educational professionals to work on food protection issues.

The discovery of an emerald ash borer (EAB) infestation in St. Paul created concern with an estimated 900 million ash trees in Minnesota.The MnEDEN team organized two web-based informational meetings with an Extension entomologist to assist county and regional staff in locating, providing resources and referrals for EAB concerns.MnEDEN provided information for the Farm Info Line to handle EAB questions and worked with content experts to update the website as needed.

MnEDEN participated in the statewide Farmfest, August 4-6, where more than 40,000 people attend the three-day event to learn the latest technology and information on agriculture, farming, crops and critical issues facing farm families; sponsored educational tables on EAB and weather related information for crop maturation.

Red River spring flooding broke the recordin the Fargo-Moorhead area with 29 days at major flood stage.As the March flood waters raged through the Red River Valley, the MnEDEN team served as a first responder in education during emergencies. Weekly web-based conference calls were open to all staff and educators in the 10-county region and with University of North Dakota (as the river knows no state boundaries). MnEDEN coordinated a grant from USDA for the following:

·Created a one-stop online resource, with the most up-to-date information on flood response, safety, family matters and cleanup issues, at www.extension.umn.edu/flood

·Set up a flood information hot line with content experts to answer questions about water, crops, horticulture and climatology issues.

·Worked with Disaster Recovery Centers in Moorhead, Hendrum, and Breckenridge to distribute materials, promote referral phone numbers and resources, and provide access to the Extension flood web pages. More than 3,260 pieces of information were distributed at the centers.

·Hired a flood intern for a six-week appointment to work exclusively in the flood area.

·Printed 4,000 copies of the Picking up the Pieces brochure for distribution by city and county inspectors, along with FEMA representatives, as they went door to door for home inspections.

·Ordered ten moisture meters, which were checked out to residents and used continuously to assist home owners in remodeling and rebuilding their property.

The MnEDEN team meets monthly to review current and potential issues. Web based resources are prepared and ready to go in the event of emergency situations. The resources include drought, flood, wind and tornado, hail, ice, winter emergencies; H1N1 flu virus and guidelines to follow in the event of a public health emergency.The resources can be quickly activated and made available either statewide or locally depending on the emergency need. Extension’s communications staff provides news releases and updates to media across the state on the work of MnEDEN.MnEDEN assists Extension’s capacity to approach disasters from different disciplines.

Submitted by Bob Byrnes

Mississippi

Mississippi State University

In 2009, Mississippi marked the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and Mississippi State University’s Extension Service continues to prepare for the next major disaster. We serve as the lead training agency for Incident Command System, or ICS, for first-responders across the state. We are an integral partner with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and other agencies whenever the Joint Information Center is activated.

ESF Training

While our primary responsibilities lie in Emergency Support Function 11, which addresses animals, agriculture and natural resources, MSU’s Extension Service also assists in ESF 6 to aid in human sheltering and food distribution needs. To better address ESF 6 issues, our Family and Consumer Sciences staff has put together an emergency preparedness and response manual for all trained FCS staff. Additionally, we are developing partnerships with the American Red Cross and the Mississippi State Department of Health for increased educational training opportunities for the state’s residents.

In March, a disaster preparedness workshop was held in the Mississippi Delta to work with child-care providers and local health departments.

MSU Extension Service’s Center for Governmental Technology is the ICS training arm for Mississippi. In 2009, we trained more than 2,000 responders in the appropriate levels of the National Incident Management System -- Incident Command System.

H1N1 Flu Concerns

In anticipation of a possible H1N1 flu crisis, we helped test Mississippi’s plan for receipt, storage and distribution of the pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile. More than 200 participants took part in the exercise program, including the Mississippi State Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Public Safety, Office of Homeland Security, Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol and Mississippi Med-Comm.

In a similar effort, more than 300 people took part in exercises testing the state’s plan for operating Points of Distribution with Jackson area hospitals, State Department of Health, Department of Public Safety, Hinds County Emergency Management Agency, City of Jackson, nursing and medical school students. These exercises were also coordinated and conducted by MSU Extension Service.

MSU-ES provided training for more than 300 sites in the state for the State Medical Assets Resource Tracking Tool (electronic database recording available equipment and beds, staff, and facilities) for the Mississippi State Department of Health.

MSU Ag Communications worked with the Extension health specialist to develop a print-on-demand publication to address H1N1 concerns. This material is available on the MSUCares.com Web site and in hard copy versions.

All Hazards

MSU coordinated a single conference in Biloxi to take the place of two traditional annual conferences–the Governor’s Homeland Security Conference and the MEMA/Mississippi Civil Defense Emergency Management Association Annual Conference.

The Mississippi All Hazards Preparedness Conference, which was attended by more than 300 first responders in the state, helped reduce costs for both state agency sponsors and participants.

Hurricane Training

MSU coordinated the 2009 Gulf States Hurricane Conference that took place in Biloxi. The event brought together more than 400 emergency management personnel from Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida and Alabama to discuss current issues related to hurricane preparedness and response.

Disaster Exercises

Mississippi conducted four statewide exercises in the first nine months of 2009: two for hurricanes and two for radiological disasters. During one of the drills, all state agencies were required to activate their response plans. For this event, a forward command center was set up on the coast to respond and deploy response teams.

In May, the Mississippi Animal Response Team held its annual two-day conference. At this conference, MSU-ES and other agencies conducted workshops for small animal and pet volunteers. With the development of a new disaster assessment form, a training was conducted for MSU-ES disaster assessment teams.

In June, Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties conducted a joint disaster exercise that included a terrorist scenario. MSU-ES worked with other state agencies this last year to develop an at-risk population sheltering plan to assist and support children and special-care individuals during a disaster. MSU-ES has worked with the Mississippi Red Cross, Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Mississippi Department of Human Services in developing the response plan.

Submitted by Linda Breazeale

Missouri

University of Missouri

Disaster Response and Recovery

In FY 09 Missouri had 4 major Presidential disaster declarations affecting 245 counties (Missouri has 114 counties and the City of St. Louis), many multiple times.In the last five years Missouri has been devastated by natural events which received 20 Presidential disaster declarations, more than any other state during the period.Missouri now ranks 8th as the most disaster prone state in the last 50 years.MU Extension has always responded to urgent needs of communities and citizens but has created its Community Emergency Management Program to support federal, state and local efforts using only internal financial and human resources.

After a massive ice storm MU Extension faculty and Community Emergency Management Program (CEMP) team members developed and distributed critical information for affected homes, businesses and farms.This information was shared with state agencies, volunteer agencies and federal agencies so it could be distributed to the thousands of affected home owners, renters, businesses and farmers.Extension faculty and staff fully participated in Multi Agency Resource Centers (MARCs) with SEMA and FEMA and had contact with thousands of impacted individuals and families. Extension specialists on the CEMP team provided information packets to service providers and individuals on such topics as food safety, drinking water purification, chain saw safety, consumer fraud, landscape recovery, livestock care, tax consequences of the storm and mental health issues.Information was distributed via Extension news articles to print and broadcast media; via radio, TV and newspaper interviews, and via guide sheets and bulletins on the Web.

After a major series of storm raked Missouri, one extension office, working as part of the local COAD, took a major lead in soliciting, organizing and managing volunteers during the short term recovery efforts.Over 13,000 volunteer hours were coordinated for chain saw teams, debris removal, wellness checks, shelter and mass feeding operations.The office was the volunteer coordination center and received numerous kudos for their tireless efforts.

When a young 8 year old went missing in a rural county MU Extension took a lead role in coordinating and supporting the search effort.GPS units were delivered from several surrounding counties and just-in-time training was provided by MU Extension faculty for the search teams to use the GPS units in the search.The youth was found unharmed.

Disaster Education

Regional CEMP teams played key roles in providing Community Emergency Response Team (Citizen Corps-CERT) training to citizen volunteers to teach them how to support local government disaster operations. The team members across the state are also directly involved in Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPC), Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD), Citizen Corps programs, and Long Term Recovery Committees.In many cases they are not only members but comprise the day-to-day leadership.

MU Extension’s Northwest CEMP team received a contract from the Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee (RHSOC) to work with the region’s fifteen counties to develop an agriculture emergency annex for each county’s local emergency operations plan.Plans are currently being modified by extension specialists to incorporate the agriculture emergency procedures.

Missouri Extension was chosen by Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) to partner with land-grant university Extension educators in key states, to undertake community-based field assessments of the level of disaster awareness and the state of preparedness among disadvantaged households and communities in 15 sites across five states.In this context, disadvantaged households/communities are defined as groups/communities that are disadvantaged socially or economically, or that are experiencing functional disabilities as a result of chronic medical problems or other special needs.The ultimate goal of this project is twofold: (1) gain clarity on how best to provide disadvantaged households and communities with the knowledge, tools, and capacity they need to effectively prepare for, and respond to, a variety of disasters; and (2) determine how well the resources produced as part of FEMA’s Emergency Preparedness Demonstration (EPD) Project meet the needs of these disadvantaged audiences.

SRDC

After responding to over 800 calls about flood damages to homes and mold issues, MU Extension conducted and ISE for 48 faculty and staff to provide excellent research based information about flood recovery efforts for affected homes.

Missouri Extension took the lead for the state of Missouri when it launched its Faith-Based initiative for disaster response and recovery.There were 11 symposia across the state with 509 participants attending regional training sessions during the summer months of 2008.Venues were in church facilities in cities located in Missouri’s nine Homeland Security Regions and two Urban Area Security Initiative areas.Through this initiative attendees were taught individual and family preparedness, continuity of operations planning for their church/congregation and were introduced to seven external disaster ministries that churches can be trained on and activate if needed.Phase II is in the planning stages based on the successful outcomes.

Through the CEMP, children, families 4H, FHA and agriculture producers are learning food safety and agro-security measures.MU Extension was able to leverage funds from the regional homeland security committee and hire a full time FTE Agriculture Preparedness Specialist whose job it is to promote preparedness measures in the general populace as well as in the private agricultural sector.Additionally the program includes agriculture disaster response preparedness and direct links with private companies, Missouri Department of Agriculture and USDA regional officials. Efforts include presentations to school programs and clubs, grower and livestock associations, fairs and other public venues.Although focused on agricultural preparedness, this position also works hard to promote all-hazard preparedness and has responded to multiple events including a massive region-wide ice storm and power outage.

Montana

Governor’s Emergency Response Commission. Dr. Michael Vogel represents the Montana University System on the Montana State Emergency Response Commission.

S-CAP. Thomas Bass serves on the EDEN task force that is developing the Strengthening Community Agrosecurity Planning (S-CAP) course.

“Operation May Day” exercise. Chouteau County Extension (Linda Williams – Agent), Emergency Management and Public Health teamed up to conduct an extensive five week pilot project with a class of twenty-two high school seniors. The overall purpose of this project was to involve youth in emergency operations planning and thereby: increase their level of personal and family preparedness; learn the roles and responsibilities of public officials and emergency personnel; and enhance their critical thinking skills. One drill for the students involved decontamination. For this drill the students actually "suited up" and went through the process of decontaminating humans (manikins) and live animals (dogs). All of the homework assignments, classroom activities and simulations culminated with an all-day large scale functional exercise in which students played the roles of public officials and incident command functions. Students “responded” to the simulated emergency by developing an Incident Action Plan and determining solutions to the rapidly evolving events.The results of the total project went beyond the over-whelming success of the "Operation May-Day" exercise. The emergency planning committee enlisted the students' help in actually supplying information for the agricultural annex to the county EOP. The students developed public fact sheets for 22 zoonotic diseases; facility diagrams of the county fair grounds, veterinarian clinic and Dedman Foundation animal shelter; re-useable laminated incident response templates; animal decontamination guidelines; agricultural resource inventories; family survival kits; and media packets and public service announcement templates.

Montana Disaster Resilient Housing. Dr. Michael Vogel has written a consumer guide on this topic, which will hopefully be published in the next year.

Submitted by Linda Williams

NEWMEXICO

New Mexico State University

New Mexico co-leads with the University of Kentucky the Strengthening Communities through Agriculture Planning (S-CAP) project during the past year.The material for the training was prepared with the assistance of Extension personnel from Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, South Carolina, Kentucky, Montana, and Tennessee.

Pilots were conducted in New Mexico, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tri-States (Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama), Michigan, and Utah during the spring months of 2009.

The next phase of the project will be training state train-the-trainers and further delivery of seven deliveries between November 2009 and May 2010.

All thirty three New Mexico Counties were trained to write and exercise a county agriculture emergency annex to their all hazards plan.Three multi county exercises were also held during the year.

We trained over 26,000 citizens in food and agriculture preparedness and response during the year.This training was accomplished with funding assistance from the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security to the Southwest Border Food Safety and Defense Center.

The New Mexico livestock industry held a field exercise in May 2009 sponsored by the SBFSDC.Approximately 140 industry and agency people spent four days in field exercises and training.Twenty five large animal veterinarians are members of the Agriculture Livestock Incident Response Team (ALIRT) and conduct animal syndromic surveillance in the state.

Submitted by Billy Dictson

NEWYORK

Cornell University

The NY EDEN website (http://emergencypreparedness.cce.cornell.edu/) was severely compromised in February which provided an opportunity to redesign the site and increase its accessibility. It is a major source of preparedness and recovery information for Extension educators and the general public in New York. The new site is now “live” and much positive feedback has already been received.

Outreach and Training

This past year, NY EDEN has been involved in several disaster preparedness outreach opportunities.Most of these activities were initiated by Extension staff or outside organizations which indicates that EDEN is recognized as a viable resource for disaster/emergency information.

·Three preparedness workshops were conducted for 100 staff from People’s Equal Action and Community Effort, Inc. (P.E.A.C.E.) which works with at-risk populations. This was a collaborative effort with a CCE Association that received funding from County Emergency Management to develop and implement preparedness training for at-risk populations in an upstate urban county. Five workshops for the targeted population were subsequently conducted in September with positive feedback from participants. Additional workshops are scheduled for October and November.

·EDEN partnered with the NYS Association of County Ag. Agents to provide an all day in-service: “What is Expected of Extension in an Agricultural Crisis or Emergency?” The participants received training in ICS and communicating in a crisis, as well as an introduction to Ready AG: Disaster and Defense Preparedness for Production Ag.

·4-H teens attending a leadership training weekend participated in two disaster preparedness workshops: (1) developing community awareness about the importance of pet preparedness and (2) an introduction to amateur radio operation. Both workshops were conducted by Extension educators who are part of the R U RDY leadership team.

·A 4-H GIS Club completed a project which mapped the location of fire hydrants in a town at the request of emergency management. The club has had several requests from neighboring towns to continue this work.

·Relevant educational information and updates on the H1N1 pandemic are currently being provided to extension executive directors and educators.

·A workshop on pandemic planning for businesses was presented to 81 human resource staff representing businesses in the southern tier region of NYS.

Networking

·Assisted State Emergency Management in revising the brochure: “Radiological Information for the Agricultural Community”.

·Member of the NYS Cattle Issues Working Group which is developing ways that organizations can work together in the event of an emergency affecting dairy and beef cattle in the state.

·The Empire State Animal Response Team (ESART) has made significant progress in working with County emergency managers to develop county animal response teams (CARTs). Certified CART volunteers will now have liability and workers’ comp. insurance coverage when officially responding to an incident. We have also developed standard operating guidelines for CARTs and on-line courses. The Office of Homeland Security awarded seven grants to multi-county projects to fully equip trailers with supplies for 100 animals (each) that would be used to set up temporary animal sheltering facilities in the event of a disaster.

Submitted by Ellen Abend

NORTHCAROLINA

North Carolina A&T State University

Project Description

Recently, zoonotic disease outbreaks have been receiving attention on both a state and national level.Reports about avian and swine flu outbreaks have stimulated community preparedness for these types of events.This is because the transfer of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans can have a negative impact on public health as well as the economy of the livestock industry in which the disease originated.In order to prevent or minimize the risks or effects of such occurrences, early detection and rapid response is crucial.NC A&T State University implemented a project to improve community preparedness for a zoonotic disease outbreak.This project entitled CASHN (County Animal Security & Health Network) helped increase the knowledge of county extension agents, small scale farmers and retail feed dealers about zoonotic diseases and how to respond in the event of an outbreak.The project also established a network and piloted a communications alert system within the network for effectiveness and timeliness of notification.The CASHN project was a collaborative effort between The Cooperative Extension Program at NC A&T State University, NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences, county extension agents and their local retail feed dealers.

Goals Achieved

1.Provided technical assistance, training and deliverables to county extension staff to enhance their capacity to provide training sessions as well as assist during an animal disease outbreak;

2.Conducted training to small scale and limited-resource farmers on zoonotic diseases and biosecurity so they can prevent or minimize the risk of transferring diseases to their livestock.

3.Hosted forums to build community awareness of emerging infectious diseases and provide this community with relevant and appropriate responses to this threat.

4.Established a network of stakeholders to participate in pilot testing a rapid response alert system.

5.Piloted a communication alert system to reduce the time it takes relative information to reach small scale farmers from the State Veterinarian.

Submitted by Keith R. Baldwin

NORTHDAKOTA

North Dakota State University

Flood Fight

Situation:

Saturated ground at freeze-up, too much snow, too fast of a melt, rain = major flooding in the Red and Sheyenne river valleys in eastern N.D. with record crests; also flooding in south central and central N.D. from quick melt and ice jams

Miles of clay and sandbag dikes, and Hesco barriers

NDSU cancelled classes for 2 weeks and totally closed for 1½ weeks so students, faculty and staff could help

Some homes lost, some infrastructure ruined, but, in general, we won the battle!

Sandbagging for Flood Protection, Remove Mold for a Healthy Home, Cleaning Your Flooded or Water-damaged Home and more

Videos for YouTube, Web site and cable TV:

Building a Sandbag Dike, Using a Moisture Meter before Rebuilding

Recorded webinar on the Web and cable TV:

Restoring Flooded Buildings

Purchased more moisture meters for checkout from county offices with information

Worked with Lutheran Disaster Response to find farmers/ranchers who needed volunteers to repair fence or clean up farmyard

County Extension agents served as volunteer coordinators, county call center leaders, farmer/rancher resource people, media resources and much more

Cold, Wet Spring

Situation:

Much more snow than usual across N.D.; long, cold spring

72,000 calves, 19,000 cattle, 2,500 sheep, 180 horses died

Extension’s Efforts:

Weekly conference calls with N.D. Dept. of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency and Governor’s Office for communication on getting feed to cattle, transporting milk, disposing of carcasses, helping farmers/ranchers apply for assistance and more

EDEN Disaster Issues eXtension Community of Practice

Ag engineer Ken Hellevang continues to lead the flood Community of Practice and veterinarian Charlie Stoltenow the agrosecurity CoP. Several articles have been written on the agricultural and horticultural aspects of flood preparation and recovery, and are being reviewed. It’s difficult to find reviewers with technical expertise willing to review the material, so work is progressing slower than expected.

EDEN Family and Consumer Sciences Work Group

Stutsman County Extension Agent Eunice Sahr, Cass County Extension Agent Rita Ussatis and Ag Communication Director Becky Koch are working with the EDEN national team to develop a list of FCS resources, further categorize those resources and develop a family preparedness training program.

NDSU Emergency Management graduate student Ben Hoffman and Becky Koch developed training for the N.D. Dept. of Emergency Services on how first responders should use two-way radios.

Disaster Volunteer Management Training

NDSU received a 2009 CSREES Special Needs grant to study flood response and recovery efforts of Extension agents in N.D. rural/frontier counties and work with Susan Ellis to develop volunteer management in disasters training.

Submitted by Becky Koch

Ohio

The Ohio State University

Weather Related Emergency Response

Ohio Extension Educators serve on their Local Emergency Planning Commissions (LEPC) and provide timely recovery information to citizens in their community with weather specific information for the emergency they faced. OSU Extension is also a full member of the Governor’s State Emergency Board. This board is responsible for acting on Loss Assessment Reports submitted by the Farm Service Agency county offices.

Radiation Response at Commercial Nuclear Power Plants

OSU Extension is a full member to the Ohio’s Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Response Plan for nuclear power plants, of which Ohio is impacted by three sites. Besides standard annual meetings with plant operation managers and EMA personnel, OSUE personnel at state and local levels participate in graded FEMA exercises for each plant.

University Crisis Team

The OSU Crisis Management Team consists of representatives from the college office, university public safety office, university IT services, communication and technology, branch campuses and research stations, and the OSU Extension safety group. Now in the third year of operation, this team continues to lead the college with campus disaster planning. It is supported by the college Dean, the Director of Extension, and has received Smith-Lever Special Needs Funding to implement business continuity plans in all county and regional offices.

Business Continuity Plans

This has been a very successful year for OSU Extension in working toward compliance with the University directive that all offices have a business continuity plan (BCP) by 2010. To date, 99% of the OSU Extension County Offices have an account in the University-required online software called Living Disaster Recovery Planning System (LDRPS) with 43% having completed their business continuity plan.

The BCP plan is divided into two phases.Phase 1 is designed to prepare County Offices for the first four hours post emergency or disaster; it includes these components: 1) developing a call tree, 2) identifying an assembly point as well as appropriate alternate business location for extended displacement, and 3) establishing office emergency response teams and their roles during an event.Phase 2 is designed to prepare the county offices for the recovery of business functions, including a business impact analysis with recovery time objectives and strategies for mitigating risks to recovery.The risks for which continuity strategies include scenarios like 1) majority (60%-80%) of staff are unavailable to report to work, 2) unavailability of technology, and 3) physical loss of the county office.

To assist Cooperative Extension Services and their clientele nationwide in business continuity planning, Ohio developed a curriculum funded by a CSREES Special Needs grant. This curriculum CD-ROM will be distributed to each EDEN POC. The CD-ROM includes the curriculum book, fill-in the blank workbook, PowerPoint presentation for training county staff, and a PowerPoint presentation for a general overview of business continuity planning.

Other Activities:

Agri-security and Natural Disaster Planning presentations are available for Extension field staff to present to their clients. The Power Point presentations are taught around the state to agricultural businesses and producers.

Through the 4-H program, specifically the 4-H camp counselor orientation, over 2,000 teens receive emergency/disaster planning and first aid training to prepare them for emergency situations they could potentially face as 4-H camp counselors.

OSUE county agricultural educators are working with their local emergency boards to adapt the state Animal Disease Incident Plan to their locale. Protocols are in place and are being adapted for specific livestock commodities in the county.

OSUE state emergency management staff worked cooperatively with Michigan counterparts to fulfill objectives of a multi-state CSREES grant. Ohio staff pilot-tested BCP train-the-trainer programs to five Michigan counties, whereby they were able to go back to their county offices and complete Phase 1 objectives.Likewise, Ohio staff participated in Michigan’s large animal handling and emergency response training. As a result, Ohio plans to offer a similar workshop in 2010.

The EDEN website and curriculum modules are regularly shared with Extension field staff. Many staff recognize the value of these resources, not just during times of disaster, but also for educating producers and citizens on preparedness tactics. OSUE state emergency management staff use annual conferences to promote and teach professional development courses to OSUE field educators.

OSUE continues to seek out and nurture partnerships to help meet the agricultural rescue needs of Ohioans.In partnership with the Ohio Fire Academy, OSUE presented farm equipment extraction demonstrations at the 2008 Farm Science Review.In 2009, OSUE grew our partnerships to include Heritage Cooperative and four local fire departments to present grain bin rescue demonstrations at Farm Science Review.The demonstrations were performed three times a day for three days and had an average audience attendance of 150-200 per demonstration.Facilitators directly engaged with a total of 50-60 fire fighters and 30-40 audience members over the three-day event.

Submitted by Dee Jepsen

Oregon

Oregon State University

Coastal Catastrophic Hazards

Education about catastrophic hazards on the coast includes preparation for earthquakes, tsunamis, and global climate change impacts. Efforts in climate change preparedness include outreach regarding the observed and expected changes in local climate, and how those changes will likely impact the area; recommendations to adapt to these changes, and community carbon footprint reduction.Program activities also include engaging local infrastructure and emergency managers, agency staff, and elected leaders with OSU faculty working on earthquake and tsunami science; extending research based information to aid in community hazards planning, and conducting educational events and workshops on tsunami preparedness and climate change. (EDEN objective 1.1)

Youth are involved in national Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities through GIS/GPS activities and 4-H Teen Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). The Alert, Evacuate and Shelter (AES) program identified and trained youth/adult teams from 46 counties to use geospatial technology to map shelter locations and evacuation routes. The training began with team building activities to strengthen and build youth/adult preparedness partnerships. Program evaluations revealed a major shift in thinking about the potential for youth involvement in emergency response. Survey results immediately following trainings revealed statistically significant increases in participant knowledge of emergency preparedness. Follow-up evaluations indicate the success of this project in meeting community preparedness goals.

4-H Teen CERT continues to teach youth the skills needed to prepare for, stay safe during, and respond following a disaster. As a result of the AES program, 4-H Teen CERT has expanded to include youth in three additional states. A recent Federal Grant awarded to Oregon and Nevada will allow for five additional trainings of youth/adult teams focused on the CERT program. (EDEN objective 1.2)

With new tools in the lab, Diagnostic Clinic staff will be alert for a few very specific pathogens that do not occur naturally and that can cause devastating food crop losses. These may be foreign diseases for which the main food crops have no immunity, for which no control measures exist, or particularly virulent strains that can spread rapidly through the food supply. Specific training in the detection and diagnosis of pathogens important to biosecurity for faculty is ongoing. Sixty-two Master Gardeners in nine counties serve on the first detector team. The OSU Plant Clinic extended its diagnostic expertise to the state of Utah to provide continuity in monitoring for high risk pests in the course of diagnostics while key positions in that state were vacant. (EDEN objective 1.1, 3.2)

Bovine Viral Diarrhea virus (BVD) causes insurmountable economic loss throughout the U.S. In Oregon alone, the annual loss is estimated to be $2,000,000. The industry has begun to pay premiums for cattle sold as BVD persistently infected (PI) free.The increased public awareness and added market value creates the opportunity to educate ranchers on biosecurity practices, using BVD as a model, with additional opportunity to increase revenue of Oregon cattle sold as BVD PI free.To date 864 producers have attended a seminar or a trade show highlighting the Oregon Biosecurity/BVD Control Program. More than 300 producers have actively collected our research and educational materials and 9,000 people have been exposed to the program via popular media.Approximately 9,850 head of cattle on 39 ranches in 16 counties have been enrolled in the OSU Biosecurity/BVD program.Of those, 8,404 animals have been screened as BVD PI free.

oRegional H1N1 Training for Veterinarians

In collaboration with a local USDA APHIS contact, OSU faculty are facilitating a training for Veterinary Emergency Response to an H1N1 outbreak in hogs. (EDEN objective 1.1)

Fire-resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590), was published through Extension and Experiment Station Communications (EESC).Presentations were delivered on Principles of Hazardous Fuels Treatments to 35 tribal contractors on approaches to reducing forest fuels, and on Protecting Your Home & Property from Wildfire to 24 homeowners. Outreach has begun in underserved regions of the state. Defensible space materials adopted and used in a 34 page homeowners’ guide called Firewise Alaska by the Alaska Wildland Fire Coordinating Group, University of Alaska Cooperative Extension and the Anchorage Fire Department.(EDEN objective 1.1)

oOutcomes from a Workshop on Evaluating Methods to Predict and Assess Tree Injury from Wildfire:

A workshop brought together leading scientists to discuss what we know and do not know in the fields of fire ecology and tree physiology. This resulted in a publication, Perpetuating Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine, used by land managers. (EDEN objective 1.1)

A thorough investigation was conducted into drought impacts in the region. A paper, Northeastern Oregon's Preliminary Drought Impact Statement was prepared and distributed to regional county commissioners, the governor, and the congressional delegation. As a result the five county region was declared a disaster, opening the doors for Federal funds for livestock producers. (EDEN objective 1.3)

Grasshopper Infestation

During the summer of 2008, USDA APHIS, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), and OSU assisted with grasshopper population surveys, which permitted identification of hot spots. Federal support permitted spraying on 2,400 acres of heavily infested public land. ODA provided equipment, bait and chemical used by more than 40 private landowners in Baker County to treat another 4,500 acres.

Early spring 2009 population survey results indicated a highly positive impact from chemical treatment occurring in the summer of 2008. Private and federal land managers had additional incentive to continue treatment during 2009. (EDEN objective 1.3) More information: cory.parsons@oregonstate.edu

H1N1 and Human Health Information Dissemination

Recognizing that Extension is a trusted source of health-related information for many people in Oregon, we developed a link for our state Extension web site that provided an access point for web-based information about the H1N1 outbreak. The page linked to other sites from Louisiana State University and CDC. (EDEN objective 1.1)

PENNSYLVANIA

Penn State University

Thankfully, we had no major or widespread disasters in the last year!

Penn State Extension is undergoing a major reframing of programming.Emergency Preparedness, and Rural Health and Safety are identified as major educational program areas. They are 2 of 21 Work Groups that include all educational programming for Extension.Project teams are identified and developed around each of the EDEN learning modules, Ready PA, Ready Ag, S-CAP, National Preparedness Month, County Extension Emergency Response Contacts, AgrAbility, Agromedicine, Farm Safety, Farm Worker Protection Safety Program, Managing Agriculture Emergencies, Migrant and Immigrant Health and Safety, Pesticide Safety Education Program, and West Nile Virus. The new system will allow for dedicated evaluation and impact reporting for each program area.

Educators participated in state-wide in-service training to explain access and use EDEN resources.

The following are activities in which EDEN resources were presented and explained;

Funded by PA Health and CDC, to develop and deliver Disaster and Pandemic Preparedness training to community human service providers for Special Populations in Pennsylvania

Working with FEMA to facilitate SME work groups to rewrite Target Capability List for Food and Agriculture Safety and Defense, completed TCL rewrite facilitation for Animal Disease Response

Submitted by Dave Filson

SouthCarolina

Clemson University

State and federal budget limitations are severely impacting the Cooperative Extension Service staffing and corresponding outreach, preparedness and response activities and capabilities.Many of the senior extension agents were asked to take early retirement so that younger agents could be retained.As a consequence there is less focus on education of disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.Fortunately no major disasters have taken place in the state.

South Carolina is building on the “SC AG Watch” for the agriculture industry that coordinates the education related to biosecurity and food security activities and prepares the Response Teams who will be activated when such an incident occurs.Education and training on protecting the food supply is coordinated through the SC Ag-Watch program which is a collaborative effort between the Clemson Ext. Service, Regulatory and Public Service Programs, Livestock & Poultry Health Div., and the Dept. of Ag.

SC Preparedness – To some degree you could say that all extension agents fulfill biosecurity roles in their daily activity in dealing with farmers and helping them identify problems and develop solutions. Clemson U. Extension employees participate with County and State Emergency Management Division EMD, training, exercise, and response activities. Agriculture protection is one of the functions within EMD planning and disaster preparations. On the local county level extension agents continue to work with local communities through the commodity associations, and the local emergency managers and maintain a CART-County Agriculture Response Team, with some capacity to respond to an agriculture disaster. However, with the decrease of staffing and funds this response capacity may be declining.A SC High-Path Avian Influenza Agriculture & Public Health Exercise and the SC National Veterinary Stockpile Exercise was conducted. Extension continues to support the National Animal ID System – NAIS.Extension agents participated in the SC-EM full scale exercise and SERT members responded for tropical storm activations at SC-EMD.

SC Response – Another cogongrass- Imperata cylindrical survey was conducted in the state.Cogongrass is an aggressive, rhizomatous, perennial grass that becomes the dominant species, is unpalatable to livestock and is a fire hazard.Now the latest issue is H1N1 which initially was derived from swine, birds and human flues combined in pigs and is thought to have initiated in pig production. This disease is still associated with pork production and this industry is very concerned with the implications and how to manage the outbreak. Several Clemson employees participate on the TASC committee which is a training and planning committee dealing with health issues for humans, animals and plants, and is principally run by DHEC health department personnel. Agents work with Soil and Water Conservation Districts and support NRCS activities with protecting the water supply through best management practices.Extension veterinarians and extension agents attend national training opportunities and participate on committees preparing for disasters in agriculture.

SouthDakota

South Dakota State University

The South Dakota State University (SDSU) Cooperative Extension Service was involved in a several disaster preparedness and response activities in 2009:

West Nile Virus. Since 2002, SDSU has been working with the South Dakota Department Health (SDDOH), and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDOA), to reduce the risk of South Dakotans contracting West Nile Virus.Research and outreach programs were renewed in early spring with mosquito trapping and identification.Research data was shared with decision makers and mosquito control officers to aid them in managing resources for effective control of the Culex tarsalis mosquito.Culex tarsalis is the major carrier of West Nile Virus in South Dakota.Based on years of research, below is the risk reduction chart developed by SDSU and SD DOH:

This chart has helped communities with limited resources, to target (peak risk season mid-July through August) their control programs to reduce the populations of Culex tarsalis and thus reduce the risk of WNV.Additional SDSU research indicates the Culex tarsalis mosquito is most active late evening into the early hours of the morning. Knowing peak risk season for transmission and peak “flying” times for the Culex tarsalis, communities adapted their control programs to achieve the maximum reduction of Culex tarsalis that was practical, given their available resources (labor, equipment and money).

A cool and wet spring in 2009 and a cool summer severely limited the emergence of the Culex tarsalis, making this a very mild year, and the season will likely end with the least number of people contracting the virus since it first appeared in SD.As in previous years, we held conference calls with community control folks and also continued to distribute our WNV educational materials to school children, at state parks and as part of Save Our Farm Youth programming.Two mild years and a large virgin bird population, with warmer temperatures next year, this could lead to an explosion in the number of infected mosquitoes, thus our educational message of taking personal responsibility to protect yourself and your home will stand.

Flooding. Spring time flooding occurred throughout the state and at this time educators and county emergency management personnel were reminded of EDEN’s, First Steps to Flood Recovery publication sent to their offices.As well EDEN web resources were again shared. Cleaning and mold control are by far the most often requested EDEN resources.Folks were also referred to the EDEN eXtension flood information and FAQs.

Pandemic Influenza.SDSU Extension and research staff developed the educational campaign for the Brookings Pandemic Preparedness Coordination Committee.The campaign was launched to coincide with September 2008, National Preparedness Month.The campaign was built around the theme of ARE YOU READY? and the South Dakota Department of Health Bready campaign.Specific activities:

a.Are You Ready? ad was developed for page 2 of the Brookings Phone Book (same as flier below).

b.Ads (1/4 to full page) or articles were placed in the local weekly paper on pandemic preparedness.

c.Radio programs were done as well as a public TV show on Pandemic Preparedness.

Spring 2009, another campaign was conducted and it coincided with the initial outbreak of novel H1N1.Launched was the new BeReadyBrookings.com web page an on-line resource for the community to keep residents current on disasters in the community; region and state as well provide resources for disaster preparedness.A flier with this information was distributed via places of worship in the community:

Visits to the web page were high with the first outbreak of novel H1N1, tapered over the summer and surged again with the announcement of four cases of novel H1N1 on campus.We have been experimenting with Twitter – seems to work but have had some posts we would rather not have had.Twitter has been a definite connection with school children and we are looking to add Facebook.

Fall 2009, for National Preparedness Month we again have a page in the phone book (flier above).The web page “frame” will be the front and last pages of the weekly paper (The Town Shopper) with messages written in the middle to get a kit, make a plan, be informed, get involved and also flu hygiene and schedule for POD activities in the community.Circulation of this weekly paper is a little over 25, 000.

The September 29, 2009 issue of the Shopper front page will be our web page and at the same time we will distribute magnets in the community:

The Brookings County Pandemic Preparedness Coordination Committee is a five-way partnership of the Brookings Health System, the City of Brookings. Brookings County Emergency Management, Brookings Chapter of the American Red Cross, and South Dakota State University.The Pandemic Preparedness Plan developed by this group and all educational materials are on the EDEN web page under the National Preparedness link.

SDSU contributors to the educational materials: Dr. E. Kim Cassel, Donna Bittiker, and Dr. Tanya Graham and as we move through this year of the campaign we will be identifying outcomes and impacts.

Submitted by E. Kim Cassel

Texas

Prairie View A&M University

The destruction that Hurricanes Gustav and Ike brought to the state during 2008 is fresh on the minds of many Texans. Although the Cooperative Extension Program at Prairie View A&M University officially joined EDEN in July, 2009, the organization began a series of educational events for faculty, staff students, and individuals in the surrounding community beginning May, 2009.

The Cooperative Extension Program holds a monthly “lunch and learn” seminar focusing on Disaster Education every third Thursday, noon until 1:00 p.m. This series started in May, 2009 and will continue through January, 2010.

Presenters for the seminars on campus have included numerous professionals in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences including Extension educators, research scientists and professors. Other presenters included individuals from local emergency organizations such as law enforcement and fire departments. Meteorologists from a local television station also gave a presentation focused on preparing for weather related events.

TEXASSEAGRANT

Texas Sea Grant coastal and marine resources extension (CMR) agents worked to better direct federal, state and local resources and assistance to immigrants living in rural fishing communities without the means to acquire them in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. The agents collaborated with a local church in the largely Vietnamese-American community of Oak Island to secure interpreters and transportation to FEMA centers for registration and assistance and to the Texas Workforce Commission in Beaumont, allowing them to seek disaster unemployment assistance.

Two CMR agents located, photo-documented, marked and recorded the GPS locations of derelict recreational vessels after Hurricane Ike. In all, some 80 vessels were located and recorded. State registration numbers were compiled from the lost vessels and cross-referencing with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department records. Once identified, postcards were mailed to the owners, thereby allowing them to file insurance claims.

Texas Sea Grant staff assessed damages sustained by the fishing industry. Several industry-specific surveys were developed and distributed to targeted, impacted groups across the Galveston Bay system (GBS) including those who hold leases within the GBS for the cultivation of oysters and oyster processors and distributors, commercial fishermen, seafood dealers and processors, and fishing guides licensed to carry six passengers. In addition, commercial fishermen and fishing guides from the Sabine-Neches area (SNA) were also queried about their respective, storm-related damage. All surveys of seafood-linked enterprises sought similar information about physical damage, the estimated cost to repair or replace assets damaged or destroyed by the storm, and the expected time required to return damaged or destroyed assets to full operational status. Highlights from the oyster industry report include:

·Eighty-three percent of the $38 million in total, estimated casualty losses to respondents occurred on the 1,713 acres of leased bottom (74% of all leased acreage), either from lost inventory or the expense required to rebuild privately-developed reefs. Damage to vessels, docks, buildings, equipment, and inventories totaled $6.39 million (17% of total). Regarding public oyster habitat, Texas Parks and Wildlife estimates that about 60% of the public GBS oyster crop was smothered under sediments and debris from the storm surge.

·In the 12 months before Ike (Sept. ‘07 – Aug. ‘08), respondents reported revenues of $30.1 million. Sixty-two percent of these annual revenues were realized from the sale of GBS oyster products, with another 4% from other GBS seafoods. Actual and projected revenues for the 12 months after Ike were $6.9 million; a 77% reduction from the amount generated in the previous 12-month interval.

·Recommendation: Stakeholders should explore the use of “shovel-ready” efforts established as part of the President’s stimulus package. Planting shell on public oyster grounds would restore essential habitat, create employment, and stimulate the commercial and recreational sectors of the regional GBS economy.

Highlights from the fishing industry report include:

·Damage to GBS Fishermen, Processors and Dealers. The damage assessment survey of commercial fishermen across the GBS reflects roughly $4.6 million in casualty losses to respondents. Damage to vessels, docks, and piers accounted for 82% ($3.8 million).

·Processors/dealers collectively reported physical damage of $8.2 million. The largest sources of damage were to processing buildings/equipment at 55% ($4.5 million), docks and piers at 20% ($1.65 million), and inventories also at 20% ($1.6 million).

·Damage to SNA Commercial Fishermen. Reported damage among commercial fishermen in the SNA was $822,000, with vessels accounting for 61% of physical losses and lost or damaged fishing gear amounting to $318,500 or 39%.

The environmental quality specialist participated in the Gulf Fishery Management Council Texas Habitat Committee annual meeting in Houston. The majority of the meeting dealt with the impact of Hurricane Ike on Galveston Bay itself. Roughly 60 percent of the oyster reefs, more than 8,000 acres, were destroyed and will cost an estimated $320 million to restore.

CMR Agents together with their Texas Master Naturalist and community volunteers staking 7,000 recycled Christmas trees on the beach to help rebuild sand dunes damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike.

Submitted by J. Logan Respess

Texas

Texas A&M System

"Operation No Fences Special Recognition" for what many call the world's largest animal rescue:Texas AgriLife Extension Service recognized 32 County Extension Agents and Specialists for 21 days and nights of meritorious service to Texas Gulf Coast farmers and ranchers who suffered devastating death losses of some 10,000 head of beef cows and calves from Hurricane Ike's 20 foot title surge that left fenceless a 20 mi. x 80 mi. grass covered rangeland along the Texas Coast from Galveston Island to the Louisiana border.These Extension professionals stood-up a Livestock Supply Point called "Operation No Fences" and met the challenge to feed, water and rescue some 15,000 beef cattle.Dozens on horseback, airboats and helicopters rescued live cattle that had the strength to exit the swamped pastures.Inbound and distributed to livestock were more than 6,000 round bales of hay that arrived on 100+ semi-trucks and outbound loads of mature cattle to inland pastures were an additional 150 trucks. Most all of the young cattle were swept away by the title surge of the Ike. The efforts saved the state and federal governments some $10M in disaster costs while helping farmers and ranchers, and rural economies survive the impacts of Hurricane Ike.

PREPAREDNESS

An agency-wide hurricane season After Action Report (AAR) engaged AgriLife Extension personnel at all levels for continuous improvement of agency EM preparedness and resulted in EM planning, training and professional development as follows….

Texas Drought Response - by July 20, 2009 prolonged drought conditions were responsible for an estimated $3.6 billion in agricultural losses across the state.The agency provided disaster assessment, agronomic and animal nutrition expertise, enterprise decision-making tools and led the State's Drought Joint Information Center (JIC) of public information officers from 11 state and federal agencies in support of the State Agricultural Drought Task Force.

Texas Wildfire Prevention and Suppression Response - Throughout the spring and summer of 2009 the agency provided disaster assessment, animal care, mass media relations and participated in the State's Wildfire JIC along with public information officers from 8 state and federal agencies in support of the State Wildfire Coordination Plans. As of September 21, 2009 wildfires burned 380,533 acres and destroyed 258 homes across the state.During one of the most significant fires Extension stood-up and provided leadership to a multi-agency Livestock Supply Point and provided feed to livestock owners who lost hay and grazing resources in Montague and neighboring counties in North Central Texas.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service also provides ongoing response with just-in-time educational materials and Hot Topics available at the Texas EDEN Web Sitehttp://texaseden.tamu.edu

Received 40,578 unique visits during the first 9 months of 2009, avg. 150 hits/day

RECOVERY

Texas AgriLife Extension Service is currently providing leadership to a Health and Human Services/FEMA evaluation project to identify family disaster case management characteristics that equate to efficiencies and effectiveness among three disaster case management models being used in 2009-2010.The case management load of the project involves some 35,000 families receiving FEMA disaster case management services in 32 Hurricane Ike impacted counties along the Texas Gulf Coast and East Texas Piney Woods.

Submitted by Kyle L. Smith

Vermont

University of Vermont Extension

Community Agro-Emergency Planning – A group which represents planners, emergency management directors, farmers, other responders, and University of Vermont Extension has determined its vision is to “Engage with citizens and leaders of Vermont communities to provide education and planning support to reduce the risks or consequences of disasters affecting agricultural assets.”The group supports activities that will promote agricultural emergency preparedness statewide.Presentations have been made to Local Emergency Planning Committees in 2 counties, emergency management directors and other town officers at workshops held with the Town Officers’ Education Conferences around the state.(Julie Smith)

EDEN Animal Issues Team – Julie Smith, University of Vermont Extension Dairy Specialist, has participated in the EDEN Animal Issues team since its inception in 2007.One of the projects overseen by the committee is called Strengthening Agriculture through Community Plans (SCAP).Julie attended a pilot of the SCAP training in April 2009.Julie represents EDEN on the US Animal Health Association’s Committee for Animal Emergency Management monthly phone calls.(Julie Smith)

eXtension EDEN Agrosecurity CoP – Julie Smith recently joined the leadership team of this CoP, led by Dr. Charlie Stoltenow of North Dakota State University, and is actively reviewing biosecurity materials on the site and serving as the liaison with the EDEN Animal Issues Team.(Julie Smith)

EDEN Web Page - The Vermont EDEN page is being revamped.The focus will be information on state concerns with links provided to state agency emergency resources.(Sam Comstock, Julie Smith)

Prepare to Survive – The Northeast Center for Risk Management Education funded “Preparing Dairy Producers to Survive a Bio-disaster” in FY2009.A series of workshops held in 3 locations in Vermont enabled dairy producers, allied industry, and community leaders to take a hard look at the devastation that a highly contagious disease like foot-and-mouth disease could cause and begin the process of developing continuity of business plans for this or other disasters that could severely impact the agricultural economy.(Julie Smith)

ReadyAg – Glenn Rogers, University of Vermont Extension Farm Business Management Specialist, led the development of the dairy-specific segment of “ReadyAg” agricultural assessment tools that will help producers evaluate their business readiness to reduce the impact of and deal effectively with any disaster or emergency they may face.The ReadyAg project is led by Dave Filson of the Pennsylvania State University in collaboration with Ellen Abend of Cornell University and Julie Smith of the University of Vermont.A general module and swine-, dairy-, poultry-, fruit and vegetable-specific modules have been completed and modules for cattle and feed crops are under development.(Julie Smith, Glenn Rogers)

Submitted by Julie Smith

Wyoming

University of Wyoming

We worked with Tom Mc Bride of Colorado this past year and had him came up and put on a joint Ag/4-H employees day long training on Agro/Fair Security dealing with many communicable diseases that could cause serious problems at our County or State Fairs. This was held on May 28 in Casper.

And through our UW CES web site, we have also been working so we can create a link that we could post all critical EDEN information on responding to all kinds of Disasters and Emergencies, and information the general public can access on emergencies, on the Swine Flu , theAvian Flu and West Nile.

The other item we are working on is a way that our CES employees could access fellow Extension Educator's personal cell numbers so the employees could be contacted if and when an emergency hit our state.

And finally we have had two articles published on dealing with emergencies and have had three educational programs presented during the past year.

The EDEN website receives support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture under NIFA/USDA Agreement No. 2012-37620-20217. Earlier support was provided under NIFA/USDA Agreement No. 2009-37620-20106, CSREES/USDA Agreement Nos. 2005-37620-15609, 2004-37620-14644, and 2002-30001-1210, and SPN 98-ESNP-1-0317
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